Agents of the Snake
by The Jordanator
Summary: This is my entry for Katja's contest. Irina Spasky has a new mission controller named Natalyia, and she doesn't like her. Will the two get along, or will it end in disaster? Please R & R! :)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is my story for the 39 Clues contest Katja made! I hope you guys enjoy it, please review if you do! Oh and are there any more entries apart from my one for this? I'm just wondering. Anyway, start reading.**

**Chapter 1**

Irina Spasky sat patiently outside the office door. She was at the Lucian Stronghold in Russia. However, things seemed more strange for her. She was used to being called to the Kabra Mansion for mission briefings, as she was about to receive, not here. She wondered why her boss would call her here, in her own home country. Could it be that she was being fired, and being sent home back to her husband? But somehow Irina knew it couldn't be, the Lucian leadership had been commending her for her outstanding performance in the field.

The office door opened and Irina looked up. Isabel Kabra stood before her with a warm smile.

"Come in." She said.

Irina frowned and followed her inside. Normally she wasn't this happy.

Isabel sat down behind her vast desk and motioned for Irina to sit at a chair in front of her.

"Any reason for your cheeriness?" Irina asked as she sat. She preferred Isabel's calm, yet firm attitude. But her smile made Irina...annoyed. Even as Isabel's eyes gleamed, like she knew something that pleased her.

"I have news." She said, her smile widening. "I'm pregnant."

Irina stared at Isabel with pure shock. _Isabel...pregnant? _That couldn't be possible. But Isabel wasn't a joker.

"Wow." Irina managed.

Isabel looked scornfully at her. "Is that all you can say? My child is the future of the Lucian Leadership."

Irina's polite smile drained instantly. "Future of the Lucian Leadership?"

"Of course!" Isabel said. "Who else would it be?"

_Me. _Irina wanted to say, but she kept quiet. She didn't want to step into Isabel's ugly side anytime soon.

"How long until it is due?" She asked, clearing her throat.

"Six months."

"What will you name it?"

"Please don't ask me that."

Irina frowned. "A problem?"

"Yes there is a problemski. Vikram wants to name the baby an Indian name. Rajesh, if it's a boy. I can't stand for that. I would much rather prefer Victor or Ian."

Irina nodded slowly. "And what about the mission you call me here for?"

"Ah yes, the mission." Isabel said, her smile reforming on her face.

She reached underneath the desk and pulled out a folder with the Janus crest boldly displayed on the front. Isabel opened it and pulled out a sheet of paper, before placing it in front of Irina.

"This is the mission briefing. The Janus idiots have stolen one of our clues. A Lucian spy has reported that it has been stored at the stronghold in Venice. Your job is to find the clue and bring it back to me. However, I will not be overseeing your mission."

Irina frowned. "So why are you here in Russia?"

"I have an art dealership to do here. And I wanted to introduce you to someone."

_Blast_. Another thing Irina hated more than Isabel's smile was meeting new people. She didn't let that show however, even as Isabel picked up the telephone on her desk. "Yes...you can come in now."

Then the door clicked open behind them and Irina turned in her seat. There standing with a folder in her hands was the most beautiful woman Irina had ever seen. She wore a white blouse, which made her dark hair look dazzling. Irina instantly hated her.

Isabel rose from her seat. "This, is Natalyia. She will be overseeing the mission."

Natalyia smiled warmly at Irina. "A pleasure to meet you."

Irina smiled back, but the gesture was forced. She was taken aback by how Isabel stood up for Natalyia. She didn't stand for no one. And Natalyia was gorgeous, perhaps outweighing Isabel's beauty. And everyone admired Isabel's beauty. Irina couldn't relate with Natalyia at all.

"I'm Irina." She said to her. "Nice to meet you too."

_That was a lie._

Isabel assembled her belongings and stepped out from behind her desk. "I'm sure you two will get nicely acquainted. I shall be expecting the clue in my hands by next week. Now I have a flight to St Petersburg to catch. Ta-ta."

With that, she left the room, leaving Irina and Natalyia alone in her office.

"Well." Natalyia chirped. "Let's make a start."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter 2 is here, yay! Thanks to all for your positive responses! Enjoy, chapter 3 will be here soon.**

**Chapter 2**

Irina breathed a sigh of relief as the guards walked past the closet. Her hiding place was obvious and last second, but it was enough to not be caught.

"Good." The voice in her ear said. "Once they're gone, get out and keep going down the hallway."

Irina's face flashed with a flare of irritation. It had been three days since she and Natalyia had meet, and Irina loathe for her was growing. Natalyia looked stunningly beautiful, nobody could tell that the two of them were a team. Isabel Kabra had set her up. Irina hated her for that. For now though, it was best to get this operation accomplished.

After the guards were out of sight, Irina opened the door and crept down the hallway. She made sure she made very little noise. Being spotted was the last thing she wanted. She at least had some kind of cover — a cleaning lady's apron she nicked from the closet she was hiding in. But she had no equipment or cleaning supplies with her, so the cover wasn't entirely fool-proof.

"Take the staircase on the left." Natalyia murmured to her.

As Irina followed her guidance, she put a finger on her earpiece, as if to poison in it with the needle hidden under her fingernail. She hated taking orders from those younger than her. Of course, Irina hated a lot of things. But this was an outright insult. She was thirty-four years old, more than capable to control the mission herself, while Natalyia did the dirty work. That would be much better.

Irina reached the top of the staircase, just as Natalyia told her to turn right. She did so, and walked briskly, yet quietly down the corridor. She heard footsteps approaching from around a corner.

"Through that door." Natalyia said in the same, calm tone.

Irina was there in an instant, and she quickly ducked through the door just as a guard rounded the corner. Another close-call. Irina looked around the room. It was a maintenance room, used for storing repair tools. It also had a vent, with a grill hanging loosely from the bottom.

"Remove the grill and climb into the vent."

Irina did so, undeterred by Natalyia's instructions. Lucians were meant to be sneaky and cunning, even if it meant crawling through vents in the middle of a Janus stronghold.

Once she had got herself in, Natalyia gave her directions along the vent shaft. Irina followed her instructions, even though she hated every moment. After about a few minutes of crawling through the tight air vent, she came across a grill which Natalyia told her to go through. Irina peered into the room below and found herself staring at lines of roving lasers. That meant she was close to the Janus vault. But it didn't seem possible that she could jump down and land in a clear spot where the sensor lasers weren't.

"Have you taken down the security?" Irina whispered rapidly.

"The cameras were easy, but the lasers are more...tricky. The set-up is weird. I don't know how to hack into it."

Irina sighed. Of course she couldn't easily take down the lasers. It's Janus-ridden. On Natalyia's, cue, Irina removed the grill and sat on the edge of the vent opening. She looked for a spot where she could land, then watched the lasers to see if there was a pattern to the laser motion. There wasn't. The random movements were just another creative speciality that had Janus written all over it. Irina decided she would have to hope for the best. She shifted her body and feel through the gap.

She landed on her feet on the dark green carpet, on a clear spot. But Irina knew thar wouldn't last. She quickly scanned her immediate surroundings and found a laser a metre away roaming straight to her. She backed up quickly, scarcely missing a laser at her ankle. Irina jumped quickly to the left as another swooped at her to the right, and ducked as another travelled toward her from above.

"I...I can't keep going like this." Irina panted as she jumped forward over another laser. The laser then moved backwards, which gave Irina a metre of clear space. "Natalyia?"

She didn't reply. Something was wrong.

Then a laser swung toward her and Irina ducked. She rolled left as another moved from the right, crawled under one which hung low above the floor and sidestepped another. Irina danced her way ever so closer to a large vault. She sensed her victory as she saw herself leap out of the laser field unscathed. But then her hope crashed as she stepped into a clear spot. While a laser was slowly heading for her, another was approaching from the opposite direction. Irina turned and saw that another was swooping over to her as well. She frantically looked for a way out as the gap closed, but there was none. She was trapped. Irina's face was struck with pure dread, and she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the lasers to detect her, which would set off a shrieking alarm.

Nothing happened.

Irina opened one eye and saw that the lasers had disappeared completely.

"Phew, that was close!" Natalyia chuckled. "I finally found out how to deactivate the lasers."

Irina fumed, but she kept silent as she turned towards the vault. As she approached, she noticed a combination code, which Natalyia supplied her.

"JC1507" She said to Irina.

Everything seemed to be going perfectly for Irina, even as the vault door swung open. Inside, she noticed four safes lined on a concrete wall. Each one had a a symbol for each branch painted artistically — Lucian, Tomas, Ekaterina and the Cahill crest. _The Janus keep their own clues somewhere else._ Irina thought. She knew she had to poem the Lucian safe, but the Cahill safe mesmerized her. _Does this safe hold all 39 Clues? Or does this safe symbolise the Madrigals?_

Irina shuddered. The Madrigals were a dark organisation that were somehow connected to the Cahill family. She had once had an encounter with them before, and she didn't plan on repeating that particular event. Irina walked to the Lucian safe and checked to see if there was any attached alarms or tracking monitors. After a thorough check, Irina was satisfied that there wasn't.

"What's the code for this safe?" She asked Natalyia.

"LUCIV01"

Irina punched in the code in a digital lock and the safe clicked open. There sitting in a small bag was the stolen clue. One gram of melted Amber. Irina reached for it and put it into the pocket of her thin, black jacket. Mission accomplished. She glanced at the other safes, and she wondered what was inside them.

"It seems that there is more than one code listed here." Natalyia said with interest. "I don't know what for."

Irina clicked. "Give me the codes."

Natalyia read them out and Irina punched the codes into every safe. The Tomas code was TOMIK03, the Ekaterina code was EKABO02 and the Cahill code was MADFC05. With every safe there were two or three clues, and Irina greedily snatched them up. She imagined the look on Isabel Kabra's face when she dumped all the clues into her hands. Maybe she would change her mind about the 'future of the Lucian leadership.' And then a thought struck Irina. _What would happen if Isabel got all 39 Clues?_ She imagined the world would be like, under Kabra control. Irina looked down at the clues in her pocket, they suddenly felt very heavy. And the clues were so easy to steal, anybody could've done it. Then it hit her more than the anything she had ever experienced.

It was a trap.

Before she could react, Irina was instantly surrounded by elite forces — men in dark bullet-proof vests, every one of them holding dangerous AK-47s aiming dead on at her. Then the two of the men parted to let a woman dressed as if she had just come back from a Sunday stroll in the park, wheeling a pram in the circle, face to face with Irina. And she recognised her almost immediately.

"Irina Spasky, I knew you would come here sooner or later." Cora Wizard purred.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I apologize for that last cliffhanger — NOT! Haha, lets see what happens:**

**Chapter 3**

Irina gaped like a goldfish. She couldn't believe she had fallen for the trap Cora had set up. Yet, here she was right in front of her, with armed defenders ready to shoot on cue. Cora wore a smug smile, which Irina saw as a bad sign.

"Oh Irina" she said, "outsmarted by the Janus. Isn't that just humiliating?"

Irina didn't respond, mostly because Cora was right.

Cora looked at the earpiece in Irina's ear. "And is that _Isabel Kabra_ talking to you, telling you where to go, what to do?"

She stepped forward and snatched the earpiece out of Irina's ear. Irina blinked in surprise. Cora was too fast.

"Is that you, Isabel?" Cora said into the device.

Irina knew what was coming — Natalyia would be honest and they would both be at the clutches of Cora Wizard. Even though Irina was desperately thinking of a way to escape.

"Yes, and I believe you have stolen a clue from me."

Irina's jaw dropped. Natalyia's impersonation of Isabel Kabra was flawless, even she was fooled for a second. And Cora seemed to be buying it.

"You want the Amber back?" She sneered. "Even if I do allow your pathetic excuse for an agent to be released from my hands, I still know the clue is Amber. I can get Amber anywhere, not just in your Stronghold in Moscow."

Irina marvelled at Cora. She was clever, manipulative and in control, like a Lucian, but how she did it was in a way which was...artistic. Creative. But if you took those Janus elements away, what do you have?

_A perfect copy of Isabel Kabra_, Irina thought with a chill. And what did that have to say for Bae Oh and Ivan Kleister? They were all from different branches, but they had one thing in common — determination to find the 39 Clues. Of course, Irina was loyal to Isabel. But something that bugged her was what she would do with that unfathomable power.

"Let's make a deal." Natalyia offered in her Isabel Kabra voice.

Cora threw her head back and laughed. Irina thought it was horrible.

"You know I'd _never_ make a deal with a Lucian, let alone _you_." She spat into the earpiece.

"What will you do with Irina?" Natalyia asked.

"Next to killing her? Nothing, I guess."

Irina noticed that Natalyia was stalling for time by asking more questions. But stalling for _what?_ Was it just for her life? Either way, it was the only thing they could do to stop herself from getting killed.

"Who's that in the pram?" Irina asked.

Cora looked up at her. "My son, Jonah. Isn't he just a delight?"

Irina stared at the baby who gleefully whacked a rattle toy repetitively against the inside of the pram. Little did Baby Jonah know that he was potentially going to witness a tragic death.

"Such a beautiful child, he looks just like you, no?" Irina said to Cora. "So innocent and harmless, a shame if anything tragic happened to him."

Cora's eyes widened. "Are you threatening my child?"

The armed defenders took a step closer to Irina, as if in response to Cora.

"You have a child?" Natalyia asked in bewilderment. Now her stalling tactics were being more forced, and less strategic. Whatever she was trying to do from the safety of her getaway boat a block away, she was running out of time. And Cora could sense it too, because she threw the earpiece at the wall. It crashed and broke apart on impact, before it clattered uselessly to the floor.

"Kill her!" She barked at the armed men.

And them in an instant, the room was swarmed with another armed squad. The new arrivals appeared in all directions and they began attacking the defenders. At first Irina thought it was a Lucian elite force, or the KGB. And then she saw the 'M' on one of the attackers.

_The Madrigals are here._

Cora screamed and Irina slithered towards her. Distracted by the sudden sabotage, Cora was unaware of Irina's approach.

"Stop this!" She yelled.

And then Irina saw her chance and dug her finger into Cora's neck. Even through the noise of the Madrigal attack and Jonah's crying, Irina heard her captive gasp in shock as the needle sunk in. A second later, she released her finger and ran. Cora slumped slowly to the ground amongst the chaos. Irina bumped past Madrigals and Janus defenders and was nearly at the point of escape when a someone clutched her shoulder with a firm grip. She turned to see a grim man, a Madrigal staring down at her. He looked vaguely familiar, but Irina did not know him.

"The clues." The Madrigal growled, extending a hand toward her.

Irina knew it was better to not use her poison needles on him, for he had backup. Instead, she nodded and handed the clues over, except for Amber. She hoped he wouldn't notice. The Madrigal pulled out a box of matches, struck a match and put the burning flame next to the clues. Irina watched helplessly, then squirmed out of his grip. She ran out of the room and through the field of lasers. Alarms began shrieking, which contributed to the pandemonium. Irina ran swiftly through the stronghold, toward her escape exit. Guards ran after her, yelling for her to stop. It was difficult without Natalyia's direction, but she managed to find the exit hatch and climb up onto the streets of Venice. Before she could decide where to run, the Lucian yacht broke through the water towards her.

Natalyia called to her from the deck. "Jump!"

Irina leaped over the side of the canal and landed heavily onto the boat. Pain shot through her body. She winced and began to get up.

"Here." Natalyia said, offering her hand. Irina grabbed it and was pulled up.

"We did it." She breathed.

Irina opened her jacket pocket and produced the Amber. "And here's our clue."

Natalyia smiled at her, and for the first time, so did Irina.

And she had meant it.

**A/N: Chapter 4 is coming guys, make sure to look out for it and review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to Katja and Blueassphire for the fav, follow and reviews! You 2 are awesome. :) **

**Chapter 5 coming soon!**

**Chapter 4**

The weather was cold and it was close to raining, but it didn't stop two men playing golf on a wealthy terrace. One of the men who prepared to whack his ball with the driver club looked to be in his late thirties, dressed in a shirt and tie. He was a billionaire, who lived nearby. The other man wore a cashmere sweater, and casually leaned on his club. He owned the golf course, even the entire estate it was on. He was much more wealthy than the first man. And he had invited him to a round of golf, bit not for leisure. He had a business deal to make.

"I believe you own a portrait of Winston Churchill, Mr Crombie."

Mr Crombie never turned his eyes away from the golfball. "Yes Mr Kabra, I do."

Vikram watched Mr Crombie line his club up, and swing it hard. The club connected with the ball, and the ball soared into the air. Into the trees.

"You're losing your edge." Vikram laughed softly.

Mr Crombie turned, and grinned half-heartedly. "It seems that I am. So why do you ask about the Churchill painting?"

Vikram placed his ball on the tee. "I'm actually related to him."

This was half-true, Churchill was a Lucian. But that wasn't the real reason he was asking about try painting. On it was a hidden code, which held something important to the 39 clues. What it was, he didn't know, which was why he was interested in the painting. And Mr Crombie was planning to sell it to Bae Oh, which was bad news. But Vikram considered it as something small, it only added a little spice to the operation.

Vikram swung his club and hit the ball hard. The ball flew into the air and came to a gentle land in the green. Of course it did. His ball had a long-distance magnet which attracted the ball to each numbered hole. Mr Crombie's ball had a repelling magnet, which did the opposite to Vikram's ball. It was just what Lucians did.

Mr Crombie whistled in amazement, and they both started to head to his ball.

"I would sell you the painting, Mr Kabra, but another person has bid two million dollars for it. I can't turn that down."

Time to use some force. "Sell it to me for twenty million." Vikram said.

And just for some extra measure. "Otherwise I'll have to resort to drastic action."

Mr Crombie stared at Vikram. He couldn't believe what he'd just said. The speechless silence lasted for quite a while, apart from the thrumming sound of a helicopter approaching them in the sky. Vikram turned in that direction and recognised the sleek, black helicopter, with the Lucian symbol on the side, descending toward them. He turned back to the still stunned Mr Crombie.

"Oh, and you might want to step back. You're standing on the helipad."

Mr Crombie rushed backwards, nearly tripping over himself as the helicopter came to a gentle land on the grass. Vikram was nearly blown back from the whirring blades, which disengaged and steadily came to a halt. The door opened and Vikram smiled warmly as his wife climbed out.

"Welcome home, dear." He greeted.

Isabel Kabra smiled back and embraced him in a hug. "So good to see you, darling!"

"How did you go with buying that painting?" Vikram asked, as they pulled apart.

"Oh, tremendously." Isabel said, before turning her head back to the helicopter. "James! Clark! Do something useful for a change and unload the package!"

A mumbled 'Yes, Mrs Kabra' was heard from inside and two burly men emerged with the large painting Isabel had bought in St Petersburg. Mr Crombie also emerged from the other side of the helicopter.

"Is that a painting of Anastasia Romanova?" He asked, incredulous.

Isabel frowned. "Who's he?"

"This is Mr Crombie." Vikram said to her. "And Mr Crombie, this is Isabel, my wife."

Mr Crombie stared at Isabel like she'd just walked off the runway. "P-pleased to meet you." He said, extending his hand for a handshake.

"A pleasure." She said, ignoring the handshake and turning to Vikram. "I must have a word with my husband for a moment."

Vikram smiled at Mr Crombie. "Excuse us. You might want to look for your ball."

"Of course." He said, backing away and heading for the trees.

"On my way home, I got a mission report from dear Natalyia. Both her and Irina were very successful, but they did have a run-in with— JAMES! DON'T YOU EVEN _THINK_ ABOUT WALKING THAT PAINTING THROUGH THE SAND!" Isabel shouted at her assistants.

Vikram watched the idiots stop abruptly before the sandpit and readjust themselves.

Isabel sighed and continued. "Anyway, they had a run-in with Cora Wizard, but Irina paralysed her. A good thing really, I hate that woman. So they got the clue back and it has been returned to Lucian storage."

Vikram nodded. "The two seem to be doing quite well then. We'll assign them to more missions and operations, especially now that you are...expecting."

Isabel smiled widely as he placed a hand on her stomach.

"The future of the Lucians rests here." He said. "Nobody else but our child."

Isabel smirked. "Irina wasn't happy about that, I could see it as clear as day on her face when I saw her in Russia."

"There was no way Irina Spasky would be the leader of the Lucian branch after us. Even when we did give her that hope."

His wife laughed, and so did he.

If everything went to their plans, the Kabra family would become globally powerful.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey fellow fans! Sorry for not updating in a while (sorry Myra) but this chapter is good! Be aware of the time warp as we zero in on Nataliya Romanov! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5**

_Three years earlier_

The funeral was small and quiet, which was very understandable. Nataliya Romanova greeted and hugged the invited participants into the Russian chapel. There were about twelve people in total, something Nataliya preferred. And her mother would have too.  
When Anastasia died, she felt as if she lost everything. Although she was lying in the coffin at the front of the room, it felt as if she were already gone forever. At least the funeral members understood. They hugged and wept with her, sharing words and offerings of comfort. Except for two members, who looked particularly happy. From arrival to now as they sat patiently at the front row of seats, Vikram and Isabel Kabra looked as if they were celebrating a party. She wondered why, suspecting she'd find out later.  
Once all the members had assembled, Nataliya stepped up onto the platform at the front of the chapel and addressed the audience.  
"Thank you for coming along today. Here we say goodbye to a beautiful duchess, my mother, Anastasia Romanova." She went on to explain her mother's life story, how the Romanov family was attacked by Madrigals, her secretive life thereof.  
Nataliya looked at the small crowd before her. She noticed Grace Cahill wiping her eyes with a satin handkerchief, the family lawyer William McIntyre sitting beside her. Behind them, sat a very dark looking man, who she couldn't recall inviting. Hope Cahill sat next to him, and she leaned on the man's shoulders. Lucian cousins sat nearby, with solemn expressions on their faces. And then there were the Kabras, looking very pleased with themselves. Isabel stared at her like she knew a secret that involved her.  
Nataliya finished her speech and turned to the coffin. "Goodbye mother. We'll all miss you."  
She turned to the crowd. "Is there anyone who would like to say a few words?"  
Grace Cahill rose and approached the stage, and Nataliya stepped down and took a spare seat next to one of her Lucian cousins.  
"Good morning everyone, my name is Grace, and I was a very close friend of Anastasia."  
She looked at the crowd with empathy and an authority that was just...right. And it touched Nataliya. She wiped her eyes as tears reformed.  
Grace continued describing how much of a friend Anastasia was to her. The more she talked, the more emotional Nataliya got. People around her also seemed to be somewhat saddened by Grace's words.  
Once Grace had finished, she turned to Nataliya. "Nataliya, times are not easy for you. They will only get harder. With the right choices, you can do well in your life." Grace looked at her with a serious, yet caring face.  
Natalyia was on the verge on running up to her and crying on her shoulder, for a long, long time. Grace really cared about her, and that touched her deeply.  
Grace thanked everyone and got off the stage. She gave Natalyia a warm smile as she passed, her eyes full of compassion. Other members of the funeral got up to speak, but Natalyia didn't hear them as clearly as Grace. These speeches were more dull, like they'd been prepared on the way to the funeral. The same general message was put forth — we'll all miss Anastasia.  
And then Isabel Kabra rose and made her way to the platform. Her face was serious for once, like she had some news to share.  
"I will be speaking in behalf of my husband Vikram and myself." She said to the audience.  
_Like this is just another business meeting_, Natalyia thought.  
Isabel opened a piece of paper and began to speak. "For years we have known dear Anastasia."  
Not really.  
"She was a close friend of ours and we shared many things in common."  
_You hardly ever saw her, and it just so happens you both are Lucians._  
"Her death was a great surprise to us and with heavy hearts we grieve."  
_I haven't seen a single teardrop fall from her smug face._  
"But, we can only move on. The family branch has lost an aspiring leader. There needs to be someone with great leadership and dignity to serve this role."  
_Oh, I see where you're going with this._  
"Vikram and I will be delighted to take this role, as next in line.  
_No, it's me followed by the Spasky's. Then it's you._  
Natalyia continued mentally commentating Isabel's speech. She felt rising infuriation grow for the Kabras. No wonder they were so happy, they were announcing themselves as Lucian leaders. Natalyia felt like throttling Isabel in front of everyone. And then a thought struck her.

_What were the Kabras really doing?_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello my fellow chums! Great responses for the last chapter, this one continues the story in Chapter 5. Hope u guys enjoy and thanks to all for making this a success by reviewing! :)**

**Chapter 6**

After the service, everyone gathered at the refreshment room, where light sandwiches, biscuits, cakes and small rolls were presented on tables. Everyone murmured with each other. The man dressed in black that Natalyia had seen earlier had disappeared. Nataliya had just finished talking with Mr McIntyre when Grace approached and hugged her tight. The gesture was just what she needed. After a moment, they pulled apart and Grace gave her a smile.

"I know how you feel." She said. "I feel your pain."

Nataliya nodded, with new tears rising and falling down her cheeks. "Grace, thank you for being with me. I really appreciate it."

"It's the least I can do." Grace said softly. Her face then changed, as if she remembered something important. "Listen, you are a Lucian. You may not know it, but Lucians can do some terrible things."

Nataliya frowned. "Like what?"

"Oh, it's best not discuss that. You were brought up to believe that Lucians were the superior branch, am I right?"

Nataliya nodded.

"I understand that. But if you ever face difficulty that could threaten your life, and you will, you can count on me."

Grace handed her a number on a small piece of paper. "One phone call and help will be with you immediately."

Nataliya looked down and took the paper. "Thank you."

"It's all my pleasure."

Grace gave her another smile and hugged her goodbye. "Take care, darling."

Nataliya felt warm inside. She watched Grace leave with Hope and turned away. She felt much better. Sure, what Grace had said about the Lucians confused her. Despite that, she still felt safe. Happy. Everything was turning right again.

Then she spotted the Kabras advancing towards her. All the comfort and warmth she felt drained away as surely as someone had pulled the plug.

"Nataliya!" Isabel Kabra greeted her. "Aren't you delighted about our announcement? We are the Lucian leaders!"

Nataliya couldn't believe it. She wanted it scream. _She_ was supposed to be the Lucian head, not the Kabras. They only wanted power. Because they only thought for themselves. And Nataliya was going to change that.

"Oh, really?" She said with a raised eyebrow. "Last time I checked, it was me who was next in line."

Both Isabel and Vikram laughed like she just told a joke. The flames of fury ignited inside her, a small but growing hatred. She thought she had showed them. But to them, it was nothing.

"How can you lead an entire branch by _yourself_?" Isabel mocked. "You can't possibly in the state you're in."

Nataliya opened her mouth to reply, but found that she couldn't. With a sickening realisation, she knew they were right. She hadn't thought about the responsibility dumped on her shoulders, just as her mother died. And the Kabras knew that too, by their smug grins plastered on their faces.

"But...the Spasky's are next! They should be the head." Nataliya argued.

Vikram spoke. "You didn't hear about Nikolaivina Spasky? He's dead! Not much he can do from six feet under."

"And dear wife Irina." Isabel added. "The Lucians can't have a mere /widow/leading them!"

"Which means the crown is passed to us." Vikram concluded.

The two of them looked very pleased with themselves as they stared at Nataliya. It made her mad how they could just do that. But they were right. It had to be them.

"So...what happens to me?"

"We're going to keep you a secret." Isabel said.

"Um...what?"

"As the daughter of Anastasia, I'd imagine you're pretty important in the eyes of Russia. We can't have you being boasted around the Cahills, can we?" Isabel explained, glancing a mischievous smile at her husband.

Vikram nodded. "That's right. Think of it as...you're one of our big guns we are keeping a secret."

If Nataliya was gullible, she would've agreed. The Kabras seemed to have her all planned out.

"Besides, we can't send you out in the field, you're disabled." Isabel said bluntly.

Nataliya felt the fire inside her roar with anger. "I'm not disabled!"

Isabel cackled. "What are you then? Crippled? Face it, you've got some freak condition that makes you bleed to death if your skin cuts. Even the smallest tear could be disastrous."

Then something glinted in Nataliya's eyes. Isabel was holding a knife underneath her jacket.

"Now, now, we can't be hurting poor Nataliya here, her own mother just died." Vikram laughed, looking at her wife. Then his gaze turned to Nataliya. "But we will be using these measures if you don't abide by us."

"You understand?" Isabel asked sweetly, tucking the knife away.

Nataliya had never felt so scared. Her own Lucian comrades were threatening her. _No, not comrades...megalomaniacs._

"I understand clearly." She replied to them. The Kabras exchanged a victorious glance.

"Excellent." Isabel said. "We'll be training you in espionage, computing and self-defence in our Russian stronghold."

"Wonderful."

One of Nataliya's private undertakers approached.

"Would you like to be with your mother as she is cremated?" He asked Nataliya.

Nataliya turned to the Kabras. "I have to go."

But they had already disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Congrats to Blueassphire1 for winning the competition! :D **

**And I would like to thank myself just coz! Even though the contest is over, I like to finish what I start so this story is still in full operation! :)**

**Enjoy this new chapter! **

**Chapter 7**

_Present day_

Nataliya Romanova gave the small photo one last look and put it down on the desk beside her.

Her mother smiled back, her eyes full of care and concern. Nataliya had been thinking about her a lot lately. She kept recalling her funeral. What had gone right. What had gone wrong.

She was supposed to be working on breaking the entry code to the Tomas stronghold in South Africa. Just another assignment Isabel Kabra ordered her to do. Irina was in her office, researching. Nataliya adored Irina. She was reaching out to her, because she wanted to be her friend.

Her best friend.

Irina wasn't initially receptive, but Nataliya noticed that she was starting to open up to her. Which was progress. It's no use being a team when they were being hostile to each other. Besides, she wanted to really know who Irina Spasky really was.

Nataliya was glad that Isabel was pairing the two of them for regular missions and assignments. It gave her an opportunity to learn about Irina, rather than being confined to the private company of herself and the Kabras for the past three years. She once resented their snobbish faces, but now she was used to them. Even happy to work for them. And the Kabras gave her dignity and respect as time went on.

Nataliya sighed and turned back to her computer screen. She activated her hacking programs and virtual code breaking systems. Breaking into the Tomas Stronghold would be as easy as poking a stick at it. She needed a challenge. Isabel was underestimating her capabilities.

And then a rebellious, yet brilliant idea sparked in her head.

_The Tomas can wait...why don't we see what secrets the Kabras have?/_

Before Nataliya could come to her senses, she took the plunge.

First, she opened the files found in the Amber Room, which were virtually uploaded to all computers in the stronghold. After a moment, she found the file marked 'Kabras' just above the one called 'Janus'. Nataliya clicked on it and read through the file. It explained the distant family of both Vikram and Isabel. It also covered Isabel and Irina's successful Lucian operations and missions, as well as their current status as head of the branch. All Lucian strongholds probably had the same information. Nothing stood out to her. Nataliya knew the Kabras held more than this. _Where would Vikram and Isabel keep secret information hidden?_

Then her eyes flicked over two words in the file that revealed the answer.

Kabra Mansion.

_Got it._

Nataliya stretched her fingers and got to work. As she embarked on her voyage to the Kabra's home server, she scolded herself for not doing this in the first place. But the rewards would be great, and Nataliya anticipated this with pleasure. Knowing the truth about the Kabras would become a great asset. Who knows what she would discover? Scandal, bribery, blackmail...the possibilities were endless. Moments later, she found herself inside the computerised Kabra Archives. It had heavy security, not like it did with the Stronghold files.

_Someone wants to keep their stuff safe._ Nataliya thought smugly.

And then she commenced with the hacking. The code-breaking program decoded the security lock on the archive in a matter if minutes. Nataliya looked down at her mother.

"This is for you." She whispered.

Anastasia smiled at her.

She turned back to the screen and found that the program had finished. Nataliya put an easy palm on the mouse and opened the archive.

There was only one folder marked 'Stronghold Files.' Upon opening it up, she found that it held the exact same information as the Amber Room had. Disbelief washed over Nataliya as she closed the file.

_This is not right._

And then she saw the words imprinted at the bottom of the archive.

_All other files kept and stored in hard copy in East Wing of Kabra Mansion._

_"Drat!"_ Nataliya cursed, pounding the desk.

"A problem?" Came the voice of Irina Spasky.

Nataliya looked up in surprise, like a deer in the headlights of a fast-approaching vehicle.

"No!" She said, minimising her screen. "Not at all."

Irina moved from the doorway and approached her. "You pounded the desk with anger."

"Oh, that was because my computer, uh, has a virus."

"A virus?"

"That's right."

Irina moved around the desk to see the computer. "How bad is this virus?"

"Oh, it's gone now." Nataliya said quickly.

"It's gone?"

"That's right."

Irina crossed her arms. "I do not believe you."

Nataliya knew her cover-up was poorly convincing, is she changed the subject.

"How's the research?" She asked.

Irina relaxed and sat down in a chair next to the desk. "So so. I'm not up with computers. The internet baffles me."

"What have you gathered so far?"

"Two common references come up: Zulu and Pretoria. To what connection I don't know."

"It's like that song." Nataliya mused.

Irina glanced at her. "What song?"

"_I'm with you and you're with me and we are all together! Marching to Peoria! Marching to Peoria!_"

Irina stared at her as if she had just spoken an alien language. "What?"

Nataliya shook her head. "Never mind."

Irina took a pen and scribbled something onto her notebook.

Nataliya looked over. "What's that?"

Irina looked up. "What you told me."

"Oh. I guess that struck you, did it?"

"I would never be interested in stupid songs, apart from the lyrics of this one."

Nataliya noticed Irina was acting hostile again. Maybe she'd been too nosy. She turned back to her computer screen and started to prepare for hacking into the Tomas. But the song replayed itself in her mind, and the reference niggled her brain. _Marching to Peoria! Marching to Peoria!Peoria...Pretoria. _She sighed and looked at Irina, who was pondering over her notes.

She looked back at the computer screen and opened the internet browser. She couldn't hack and have this mental itch annoy her. After a while, she came across a picture of the Zulu warrior, with a brandished shield.

_Bingo_. Nataliya thought, as she saw the Tomas crest proudly displayed on the shield.

She turned her screen toward Irina. "Is this what you're looking for?"

The look of Irina's face was priceless. "Where did you get that?" She snapped.

"I found it on the web." Nataliya replied casually.

"You should be doing your job, not mine!" Irina hollered.

Nataliya couldn't help but throw her head back in laughter. She tried to stifle herself, but her attempts were useless. Irina looked scornfully at her, but then she found herself laughing too.

"Stop this!" She laughed.

Nataliya giggled even harder, so much that tears ran down her face. And then after a minute, the noise died down and they could easily breath again. And then silence.

"Nataliya?" Irina asked, after a moment.

"Yes?"

"Why did Isabel want you to oversee our missions?"

This one blew Nataliya by surprise. "I...I'm not sure. Maybe she wants to keep me safe."

She felt so bad. She had just lied to Irina. The real reason was far more complex, but she wasn't ready to admit it to Irina yet. She didn't know what she'd say.

She didn't want to lose her only friend.

Irina frowned. Obviously, it didn't make sense to her. But she bought it. That meant she trusted her. And that meant she felt even worse for lying.

"I have to go." Nataliya said, standing up.

And she left the room in a hurry. She felt Irina's eyes pore at her from behind. But she tried to forget that and rushed away so she could be alone with herself.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello my friendly, fair-feathered fanfiction fans! Chapter 8 is here! I feel like this story is heading in the right direction, one that will have you at the edge of your seat! ;)**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 8**

Suspicious.

They was the first word that entered Irina Spasky's mind as she stared after Nataliya. Nobody gets worked up over a simple question like that. One question, perhaps a little personal, was all she said, and that idiot girl fell apart in a blubbering mess.

_She's hiding something_, Irina thought, _But what?_

She shifted her gaze from the open door to Nataliya's computer. Nataliya did act strangely when she stepped toward the screen. What is that girl doing?

Irina scooted over to the screen and woke the monitor. Some complex programme displayed itself on the screen. True, she knew little about computers, but enough to snoop out a possible traitor. If that was what Nataliya was doing...

She minimised the windows and maximised another. Nataliya's research. The one which while she had taken hours to find, Nataliya had found in mere minutes. Another thing she now disliked about her. Irina minimised and maximised another window. _Oh...what's this?_

The screen displayed what seemed to be a digital library, or an archive, of papers and documents. At the top it displayed an elaborate icon of a two-headed snake, with the word 'KABRA' lavishly placed underneath. It didn't take long for Irina to put two and two together. Nataliya was breaking into the Kabra Mansion's files. It was confirmed. Irina no longer pegged her mission partner with suspicious, but with another word.

_Traitor_.

The words drummed in her mind with her beating pulse. She couldn't believe it. Just when she was starting to trust and accept Nataliya, she finds _this. _Who knows what could happen if she revealed her most guarded secret to her...

Irina pushed the monitor off. Something caught the corner of her eye. She turned towards it. It was a black and white photograph of an eloquent woman. Irina recognised it almost immediately. It was Anastasia Romanova. But why is it on Nataliya's desk?

And then as Irina stared at the picture, an insane yet striking revelation dawned on her, like the curtains were pulled back to reveal the true light.

Anastasia Romanova was Nataliya's mother.

Irina's face paled. That couldn't be possible, Anastasia was killed in a Madrigal attack. It didn't make sense...but she knew it was all too real. She also knew the person who to ask — Nataliya.

How could she confront her with that?

And then she realised why Nataliya had lied to her. It wasn't because Isabel Kabra wanted to keep Nataliya safe. It was because Isabel didn't want the rightful royal duchess of Russia to be killed in action.

Irina's eye twitched. At least she had the advantage of Nataliya not knowing that she had found out about her. But she didn't know what to do. Nataliya was a duchess and a traitor, how could the two roles ever mix? She thought harder.

Why isn't Nataliya Romanova leading the Lucians?

Nataliya had decided to leave early and go home. She couldn't get back to work while she was in an emotional state. Sure, Isabel wouldn't be impressed, but who cared? What mattered was that she lied to Irina, her only friend. She felt awful.

Nataliya sat in front of the television, not really concentrating on it. She wondered what Irina was doing. Probably regretting her dealings with her. Probably calling Isabel and asking for a new mission partner.

On the TV screen, a child was pointing at someone. "Liar! Liar! Pant's on fire!"

Nataliya's hollowed eyes stared transfixed at the screen. Even the television was taunting her. She needed to get her mind off it.

She focused instead on the secret files in the Kabra mansion. She knew she couldn't just dance her way into their secret archive right under their noses herself. She would have to get help. But what was there?

And then the answer came to her.

Nataliya rose and walked out of the living room and to her office. She opened a drawer and dug though papers and accounts. And then she pulled out the paper with a number on it, the nor Grace Cahill gave to her three years ago.

It was time to use the wild card.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Um, don't know what to** say...enjoy** chapter 9? OH YES, please do review, and I am extending this to our dear guests on Fanfiction! I'll give you all a shout out! :D**

**Happy reading!**

**-The Jordanator (my new name, do u like it?)**

**Chapter 9**

The following morning, the telephone ringed on the office desk as Nataliya just had sat down.

She picked it up. "Hel—"

"Would you like to explain your absence yesterday?" Came Isabel Kabra's unrelenting voice.

Nataliya closed her eyes and inwardly groaned. Irina had obviously dobbed in on her. The dilemma reminded her of when she attended private school. Tell-tales finding bad behaviour and immediately reporting it to a strict, grumpy teachers. And now, Isabel Kabra was the grumpy teacher giving her a telling off.

"I wasn't feeling well. I couldn't do my job while I wasn't well."

"That's not good enough." Isabel snarled. "I expect the best out of you, especially after all that training we gave you."

Nataliya nearly snorted in contempt. True, she had learnt a lot and had become skilled. But the main thing she was taught we show to fear her superiors.

"I'm sorry." She replied. "I'll do better."

"Let's see about that." Isabel said, before abruptly hanging up the phone.

Nataliya sighed and put down the phone. So much for Irina being a trustworthy friend. She gazed at the door towards Irina's office. Should she...?

_Just do it, Nataliya._

Nataliya rose and marched towards her partner's office. After walking down the narrow hallway, she knocked on Irina's door.

"What?" Came Irina's irritated voice.

Nataliya pushed the door open and faced Irina, who sat at her desk.

"You told on me." She said, with an icy tone. "About me leaving early."

Irina studied her for a moment, then shrugged. "I could've told her more."

"What do you mean?"

Irina looked smug. "I could've told her you were hacking into the Kabra Mansion."

Nataliya gasped. "_What!?_"

"Yes, I saw what you were doing my dear mission partner, or should I say, _traitor_!"

"Look, I know it seems edgy to you, but—"

"But what?" Irina fired. "What could possibly cover the fact that you were hacking the Kabras?"

_"I want to know why the Kabras are really the Lucian leaders!"_

Nataliya felt tears springing to her eyes, blurring her vision. She couldn't see it clearly, but she thought she saw Irina's expression change._ It's because she understands_, Nataliya thought.

After a moment, Irina spoke. "I see, I've been wondering that too."

Nataliya wiped get eyes on her sleeve, and sat down at a chair next to her. "Please Irina, I just want to know why they get to be in power, how Isabel and Vikram get the good life, while I'm being treated like a slave by them, and by you! It should be me whose leading the branch, I was the next in line—"

And then Nataliya gasped and put her hand to her mouth. She realised she'd just revealed something crucial to Irina. _Idiot_!

Irina's face had softened, and she nodded. "I know, you're the next in line because you're the rightful duchess of Russia. And the Kabras know."

Nataliya was shocked. "How do you know that?"

"I saw your mother on your desk."

Nataliya realised what mistake she'd made by leaving the picture behind. "Oh."

Another uncomfortable silence.

"Irina. Nataliya said after a while. "I just want you and me to be the best of friends. Whatever I've done to defuse that, well, I'm sorry."

Irina's eyes narrowed, unforgivingly, and then understanding and compassion was quickly replaced. "Okay. Let's do that."

And the two leaned over and hugged. It was a long-lasting one, but full of emotion and love, something Nataliya hadn't felt for a long time. They pulled apart, and found that they were both in tears. They wiped them away.

"Listen." Irina said. "I understand that you want to find out the truth about the Kabras, but it's not right. We can't go against our own branch. Besides, it's far too risky to break into their mansion. Who knows what they'll do to you if you're caught! I don't think you should do it."

Nataliya looked down in disappointment. She was right, of course. There was no way she'll learn the truth about the Kabras. And then she remembered.

"Did I tell you I have Madrigal support?" She grinned.

Irina looked aghast. "_What!? How?_"

"At my mother's funeral, Grace Cahill gave me a number, saying that if I need help, I could ring this number. When Cora Wizard had trapped you weeks ago, I panicked. I rang the number and this squad was there in minutes. That was how you escaped. I tried the number again last night, and they agreed to help me again, to break into the Kabra Mansion."

Irina looked troubled. "That...thats unbelievable."

"But it's true." Nataliya said in a serious tone.

Irina nodded. "Okay, then do it, if it means a lot then do it. But, I can't help you."

Nataliya smiled reassuringly. "I didn't expect you too."

Nataliya got back to work, hacking the Tomas. The excitement was building up for her as she expertly and precisely found herself in the database of the South African Tomas Stronghold, but not for the clue she was close to finding.

It was the fact that tonight, she and eight armed Madrigal men would be breaking into the Kabra Mansion.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks guys for the good response for that chapter! So, the last few chapters have been touching and emotional, but I've been building up something as well. Now, we are entering the main climax of the story. Hope you guys enjoy it! A lot of suspense, action and cliff-hangers to come!**

**-The Jordanator-**

**Chapter 10**

The flight from Moscow to London had been painstakingly long, and she was glad she had made it to the destination on time. The destination, of course, was the Kabra Mansion.

Nataliya approached the eight men, as black as the night, hidden across the road from the Kabra's long driveway, which made them extra hard to spot. They were armed with various weapons, including semi-automatics, snipers and AK-47's, along with knives hidden in their bullet-proof vests. Their supply made Nataliya's weapon look puny — a dagger in the pocket of her black clothing.

"I see you've come well prepared." She said, greeting them.

The men nodded and even smiled. "We've been wanting to do this operation for months now, it was only you who could put it in action."

Nataliya gave a grateful smile, then turned serious. "Okay, here's the plan. We go through the front door, then—"

"That wouldn't be wise, Miss." One of the men said. "Guards patrol that area, as well as many other parts of the house. We'd want to go in as unnoticed as possible."

"Right." Nataliya said. "Are there any more ways we can get in?"

"A second storey window is an access to an unmonitored room in the East Wing. We can use our grappling hooks to climb up and into the window."

"Good. Have you got gear to safely break the window with?"

"Yes Miss."

"How far from the window is the Archives room?"

"Down the hallway, turn left and at the far end past the library is the Archives room. We can go back the same way when we are done inside."

Nataliya smiled at them. "This sounds far too easy. Let's go."

She led them across the road and came to the foot of the driveway. She was about to go further when a voice behind her said "Wait!"

She turned to see another figure approach her. The person pulled back it's hood to reveal who it was.

Nataliya gasped in surprise. "Irina!"

Her friend scoffed. "Of course it's me. I changed my mind. If you wish to have prior knowledge and KGB tactics, then you would thank me for being here."

The Madrigals, who had drawn their weapons, now lowered them and waited for the reunion to end respectfully.

Nataliya beamed. "You are the best, Irina! You really didn't have to do this."

Irina cupped her hands around Nataliya's face. "Dear, but I do."

Their approach was ever so silent, the guards on patrol couldn't spot them. Even the cameras were fooled. Eventually, they all crowded underneath the target window. Two men shot grappling hooks to the ledge, and offered them to Nataliya and Irina.

"Two of our men will stay out here." He murmured to them.

Nataliya nodded and both her and Irina began shimmying up, holding the cable whilst using the wall to walk up with. Nataliya's head pounded, her heart beating a nervous rhythm. She prayed that they wouldn't be caught. In time, they made it to the window. One of the men had given her the device used to break open the window. She pulled it out and handed it to Irina.

"You've done this before." She said, as Irina took it from her hands and set it up across the window.

And then it began to cut, an intricate laser moving slowly in an arc. Although it made little noise, it sounded as if it were a chainsaw to her. Nataliya felt a bead of sweat drop from her head. She glanced at Irina, but the night concealed her expression. She knew she felt just the same though.

And then the arc was complete. For a terrifying moment, the circle of glass shivered as Irina gently pushed on one of the sides. The edge of glass inched toward Nataliya, even as Irina pushed along the other side. Nataliya removed the glass with both hands and held it out so Irina could climb through the gap and into the room. After she had done so, Nataliya gave one of the men the glass circle as the next two reached the ledge. There was no room to put the glass, and no one dared to smash it.

Nataliya fell into the room, hardly making a sound as her body hit against the plush carpet. Irina helped her up. The room was dark, but she recognised a table and about four chairs. She realised that this must've been their interrogation room. She watched the two men behind her climb through the window and land on their feet. Waiting for them all to get through was like waiting for a bomb to explode. Who knows when they'd be caught? What took five minutes took forever, but they all got through.

"Are we ready?" She asked them.

They all nodded. Two men took the lead, followed by Nataliya and Irina, backed up by three men. One man stood strategically at the window, on guard. The lead man opened the door slightly. At the far end of the hallway, a guard had just gone downstairs, the beam of the flashlight fading.

As terrified as they were, they crept out and into the hallway.

Isabel Kabra passed the guard on duty walking down the stairs. She was on her way to tell Vikram that she would be departing to bed for bed for the night. Another hard day was gone, and she deserved her rest.

Before she made it to the top of the stairs, she caught movements in the shadows, down the other end of the hallway outside the Interrogation room. She stopped and watched like a coiled snake as she made out armed men, as well as two lighter figures creep around a corner.

_It looks like rest will have to wait_, she thought, trailing behind them at a fair distance.

Nobody knew where Isabel and Vikram were, hopefully in bed. But who knows what they could be doing at 11:30 at night. They made little noise, which Nataliya was thankful for. They made their left turn cautiously. Nataliya noticed a faint light from one or the rooms to the side.

"That's Vikram's office." Irina breathed.

They heard a male voice. Everyone freezed. They couldn't make out the conversation, but it seemed as if Vikram was on the phone. If they waited, he might walk out and see them. If they kept going, they had a chance.

"Keep going quietly." Nataliya whispered.

The door was ajar, so they could go unnoticed if Vikram wasn't staring at the door. The two men edged past the room. Nataliya peeked inside the office and caught a glimpse of Vikram sitting at his desk with his back turned, before going past.

"We wouldn't do such a thing, Mr Kleister." He was saying into a telephone. "The Ekats must be the cause of the hacking, wouldn't it be..."

The conversation faded as they walked past. She wondered what they were talking about, but Irina had a knowing look in her eyes.

"He's talking to Ivan Kleister, the Tomas leader." She whispered. "It's about how you hacked into their stronghold, most likely."

Once they had all made it past, they continued on toward the Archives room. Excitement filled Nataliya. They were going to make it! They rounded a corner. Nataliya was sure she would find something that wasn't meant for her eyes to see. Tension rose. Her hand brushed against the bulge of her dagger, concealed in her pocket. It seemed she wouldn't be needing that tonight, but it was best not to get cocky.

And then there it was. The door to the Archives room. The lead man tried to open it. It was locked.

"Let me through." Irina murmured, shoving past the two men. She extracted a lock-picking tool and expertly picked at the lock. Nataliya watched with anticipation. Suddenly, the hair on the back of her head rose, as if something was behind her. She turned back and saw the three Madrigals stand resolutely behind her. Dismissing the idea, she turned back just as Irina had picked the lock. The door opened.

"You stay out here." Nataliya said to them.

Then both her and Irina entered the room, turning on their flashlights.

The first thing that Nataliya noticed were boxes and folders stacked against walls, filing cabinets lining another.

"What should we look for?" Irina asked.

"Anything to do with Anastasia or me."

The two began searching. Irina opened and flipped through filing cabinets. Nataliya opened a box and dug through files and folders. Some of the labels disturbed her. Such things as 'Caldwell assassination' and 'J F Kennedy shooting' appeared neatly on manilla folders. And then Nataliya realised she was searching in a box assigned to keep all assassination records. Disturbed, she moved to the next one. The next box turned out to be Massacres. Nataliya's face paled. The Lucians were more lethal than she thought they were. And then she found a box marked 'Lucian Murders'. Interested, she opened it up. Sitting on top of the pile, was a folder labeled with a familiar name. Nataliya gulped.

"Irina." She said, voice wavering.

Irina turned, and Nataliya held up the folder. Irina's eyes narrowed.

"Impossible." She muttered. But she came over anyway.

Nataliya opened the folder, and both their eyes widened. The truth was before them, the truth of why the Kabras were the leaders of the Lucian branch. In black and white.

"No..." Irina's eye twitched rapidly. Tears began to fall as she and Nataliya read the shocking report.

And then _BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!_

Startled, both Nataliya and Irina turned. The Madrigals slumped to the floor, all of them either injured or dead.

And out of the shadows came Isabel Kabra, smoking pistol in hand.

"You two are coming with me." She said.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I am pleased to present my favourite chapter of this story so far! This will have you shocked, even with the big cliffhanger at the end of the chapter! Please review! :D**

**Oh and sorry about the earlier glitch with his chapter, apologies to Regal and Blueassphire. :(**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**-The Jordanator-**

**Chapter 11**

There was no other way to put it. They were trapped.

Isabel marched them both out of the room, back the way they came. Vikram appeared outside his office.

"Well, well." He smirked. "What do we have here?"

"A couple of snooping thieves, no doubt." Isabel snarled. "These ones will be treated very specially."

They both didn't know who they were, due to their hoods being pulled over their heads. But Nataliya knew that wouldn't last long.

They were led up a flight of stairs, down a hallway, and surprisingly, into a guest bedroom. While Vikram turned on the light, Isabel had them sit at two chairs in opposite corners of the room.

"Now, pull off your hoods." She ordered.

Nataliya breathed nervously and pulled off her hood. Irina did too, revealing her tearful face.

Both Vikram and Isabel stared at them in shock, but the reaction subsided quickly.

"Irina and Nataliya." Vikram purred. "What a surprise."

"I would have never thought you two would do such a thing, but alas, here you are." Isabel clucked.

Irina shook with rage and stood. "YOU KILLED MY HUSBAND!"

Vikram turned and called out the door. "Guards!"

Isabel swivelled her gun at Irina. "Oh, so that's what you found."

Irina pointed a shaky finger at her. "I...I loyally did what you asked. You have worked with me for years, and now I know what horrible crime you did. Is that how you pay me back? You don't treat us well, were just your mere agents doing your dirty work. The agents of a snake."

Nataliya found it horrible that Isabel started laughing.

"Oh Irina, I pity you." She mocked.

Then she turned away from Irina's stone cold gaze and moved toward Nataliya. Armed guards arrived and stood by the door while Vikram watched over Irina, who sat back down in infuriation. Nataliya looked up at Isabel's victorious face with pure hatred, identical to Irina's.

"And as for you." Isabel said, a sickly sweet tone in her voice. "You should know far better about our expectations. You haven't been fully living up to what Vikram and I want you to be."

"What do you want me to be?" Nataliya seethed. "A cold blooded murderer, like you? Because that's who you really are underneath your designer fashion, you horrible woman! I'm renouncing the Lucians!"

The room fell silent. Irina looked at her in awe, Vikram seemed to look uncomfortable, but the real relish came from the distasteful look on Isabel's face. She might've well as said it, she knew both her and Irina were as good as dead. Then she heard an awful sound, the sound of Isabel's cackle.

"Irina!" She called brightly, turning in her direction. "Nataliya here just ensured that your deaths will be more slower and more painful than before! Doesn't that sound delightful?"

Irina said nothing, she just stared daggers back at her husband's murderer. And then Nataliya remembered the dagger in her pocket. How could she use it without being spotted?

Isabel turned her head at a guard. "Get the No. 55 Poison! And make it quick!" She snapped.

The guard hurried off. She turned her attention back to Nataliya and Irina.

"You know, I used the same poison on poor Nikolaivina Spasky." Isabel drawled. "Yes, me and Vikram did a great job, didn't we dear?"

Vikram nodded, a cruel smile etched on his olive-skinned face. "The moment filled me with pure enjoyment."

Nataliya shuddered and tried to ignore them, but in the end she couldn't block their voices out.

Isabel continued. "We held the man down as he struggled and squirmed with every ounce of effort he had. It was amusing, actually. Vikram held a knife to his throat, I injected him with through poison. When we'd done, he started writhing with agony, having a long seizure which progressively got worse as each minute passed."

"NO!" Irina shrieked, blocking her ears with her hands. "STOP!"

Isabel ignored her. "In the end, he died with a broken neck, which he broke himself during the fit. After planting convincing evidence, the whole scene was tagged as a fatal accident by the authorities. All this, because of my sweet little poison. Poison No. 55."

At that moment, the guard returned with an injection needle, syringe and a small vial of a blushing red liquid. Nataliya realised that Isabel had been stalling for time so that the guard could get her poison.

Isabel took the items and put them on a dressing table and began preparing the poison injection. Vikram had a gun also, trained on Irina. The guards stared at Nataliya, daring her to move. The moment was full of tension, and Nataliya began to panic. Realisation dawned over her, and she knew Irina understood.

In the next few minutes, Isabel Kabra would poison and kill them both.

"Right." Isabel said brightly, injection of Poison No. 55 in hand. "Whose up first?"

Nataliya and Irina locked eyes. Her stare suggested that she should take the poison first. Irina opened her mouth to speak.

"I will." Nataliya quickly said.

Isabel looked at her in amusement. "Someone's eager."

She advanced toward her. Vikram shifted his gaze toward Nataliya. Nataliya looked at Irina, and didn't stray her eyes away. As Isabel pulled up her sleeve, she kept staring hard at Irina's weeping face.

The last sight she wanted to see while she still had her sanity was the face of her best friend, who fought alongside her in difficult times.

She closed her eyes and prepared for the prick of the needle to pierce through her skin.

Then the sound of a gun murdered her ears. _BANG! BANG!_

Everyone spun toward the door. The two guards by the door collapsed and fell to the floor, dead. The other guard screamed. Vikram took a step back. Isabel faltered, distracted by the sudden action. And then the Madrigal from the interrogation room entered the room. Nataliya saw Vikram gasp.

"It's the Madrigals!" He blurted.

The Madrigal turned and fired at Vikram. He groaned and fell to the floor in a heap.

"No!" Isabel shouted. She dropped the injection and reached for her gun. The guard recovered from his shock and launched himself at the Madrigal. And then Irina was on top of the guard, clawing the back of his neck with her poison needles underneath her fingernails. Nataliya didn't have time to consider why she hadn't used that earlier, because then the guard tripped over a writhing Vikram, and fell on top of Irina.

Nataliya cried out for her and ran to save her. The guard was crushing her.

"Aaaaargh!" Vikram screamed, as Irina's flailing leg kicked his bullet wound.

Then the Madrigal was trying to pull the guard off. Everything seemed to be clearing, Vikram was hurt, the two guards were dead, Irina was getting saved...

And then the barrel of a gun was pressed against Nataliya's temple.

"Do as I say, and we'll get out of here nice and quietly." Isabel murmured in her ear.

Shock hit Nataliya, but was replaced with welling anger.

"No!" She said, escaping Isabel's clutches. "I am sick and tired of obeying you!"

And then she extracted her dagger and brought it down on Isabel. She was expecting it to stab her. Instead, Isabel had rapid-fire reflexes. She caught Nataliya's arm and the dagger dropped to the floor. Isabel kicked it away, and growled in irritation. Full emotion took over and Nataliya tackled Isabel to the floor. They both landed with a thud. They both grunted, moaned and protested as they rolled and punched at each other. The carnage continued for for a minute. Then Nataliya spotted Isabel's hand clutching onto the fallen dagger.

"No!" She screeched.

But it was too late. Isabel raised the dagger over her and emitted jubilant and triumphant laughter. In that moment, Nataliya had a flashback.

An image of her mother's coffin entered her mind.

Isabel's laughter.

Then the vision of Irina's dying husband filled her mind.

Isabel's laughter.

And finally, she saw herself on the ground, with Isabel crouched and ready to kill her with the dagger.

Isabel's laughter.

And in that instant, an uncomprehendingly enormous amount of pure rage, envy and hate ignited and flared inside Nataliya.

And she exploded in an eruption of emotion.

Nataliya launched herself forward into Isabel. Stunned, she fell backwards. Nataliya grabbed her and threw her into a bookcase. Books toppled and fell on her head, bouncing off harmlessly as Isabel struggled to regain herself. And then she did. Isabel violently shoved Nataliya into the large window, which shattered in a shower of glass. Broken glass cut her skin, and blood oozed out into her skin. Shocked, Nataliya shrieked, lost her footing, and stumbled backwards. She realised she was falling out the window, and in blind desperation, gripped Isabel's leg, pulling her down even as she screamed in terror.

And they both fell three stories down to the ground.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hi guys! I am SO sorry about the last chapter's glitch, I don't know what happened. For that, I am repaying you all with a gift: Half of this chapter! The rest of it will be updated soon. Please review about the reaction you had to Chapter 11's awesomeness, I want to know! (Except for Katja, who expressed her intense enthusiasm in a review).**

**-The Jordanator-**

**Chapter 12**

At the last moment, Isabel jerked her arms out and clung on to the ledge for dear life, resisting the pain of the broken glass piercing her fingers. Nataliya's fall also abruptly ended halfway down the side of the mansion. She clutched onto Isabel's legs, not daring to let go.

"LET GO OF ME!" She roared, swinging her legs wildly.

Nataliya kept a firm hold on her. She couldn't let go now. The pain on her hands and face was unbearable. She peeked at the cuts in her skin. Some were small, some looked like they needed more attention. Either way, there was no stopping the blood flowing down her face and down her arms. The condition she inherited made any wound bleed for weeks on end, no matter how many band-aids you used. Nataliya winced as the blood trickled between her fingers, spreading fast. She began to slip. To make matters worse, Isabel noticed her hands loosening and kicked an thrashed even harder. Nataliya couldn't hold on for long.

Panicked, she cried out. "No, please!"

Then voices began yelling underneath her. She glanced down and to her relief, saw the two Madrigals from outside calling up to her.

"Let go! We'll catch you!" They called, arms outstretched.

And she did. Nataliya screamed in terror as she fell toward the ground rushing up to her. She closed her eyes and braced herself. In the next instant, she found herself landing heavily into the Madrigal's arms. They stumbled upon impact, but they safely put her feet on the ground. Looking up, she saw Isabel glaring down at them.

"You're dead, Nataliya Romanova!"

As hard as it was, Nataliya ignored her and turned to the Madrigals.

"Thank you guys so much, I knew I couldn't do this alone. What are your names?"

"We prefer to keep that confidential, but for the purposes of this mission, call me Six."

"Six?"

"It's a ranking thing, but—"

"Then what is he called?"

"Eight. We should really get going..."

Nataliya nodded, but then froze. "We should go back for Irina!"

"There's nothing we can do..."

"Yes there is! She's my best friend, I can't leave her."

Six and Eight glanced at each other.

"Okay." Eight said. "We'll wait for five minutes."

Nataliya thanked them and turned around to see Isabel, whose body was being pulled back into the house.

* * *

Irina had watched in despair and awe as Nataliya and Isabel fell out the window. The guard crushing her against the floor was a nuisance, but that problem had been lifted when she dug her needles hidden under fingernails into his neck. The Madrigal, who insisted that she called him Three, had helped her up and made sure she saw alright. And then the window smashed and Irina's jaw dropped. Even Vikram with his bullet wound gasped in disbelief as his wife was pulled out. Irina hadn't even seen Nataliya and Isabel's conflict, but all she saw was the both of them fall out. After a minute, they heard Isabel's angry shout of rage and she had approached the broken window. And she saw Isabel's fingers grasping the edge even in the shards of broken glass. Below, she had seen Nataliya clinging onto Isabel for dear life.

And now, Nataliya had just let go.

Irina put a hand to her mouth, expecting the disaster of her friend dying to hit upon impact with the ground. And then she spotted the two other Madrigals they left outside safely catch her. A breath of grateful relief escaped Irina's lips. Nataliya was safe. She watched her friend stand up, like nothing had happened. The moment was beautiful.

And then Isabel's harsh voice of outrage shattered that beauty. "You're dead, Nataliya Romanova!"

It took every particle of energy not to stomp on her fingers. Irina stopped herself short of bringing her foot down on Isabel's gripped fingers. She imagined her falling, screaming, as she plummeted to the ground. This time, the Madrigals wouldn't catch her. This was her chance, to make Isabel pay for murdering her husband.

"Don't do it." Three said behind her.

Irina turned. "She murdered my husband. It's the perfect revenge for what she's done."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Won't your triumph of being Lucian leader be the perfect revenge? Showing the Kabras who the rightful leader is?"

Irina thought about this. _Being leader would be nice..._

"She'll never be leader." Vikram rasped from his crumpled position on the floor.

She stared hard at him. "Why not? I can kill you both if I want to."

"Nataliya is next in line."

A stunned silence followed. Irina's eye twitched. Even the Madrigal was confused.

"No." He said. "Irina is the rightful leader. We've seen your leadership files."

Vikram moved, winced as pain raged in his shoulder, and settled back down. "No, no. That's a coverup. For hackers like you slimy Madrigals. Now, will you please pull up my wife? That's the least you can do to pay back for what you have done to us."

Irina glanced at the Madrigal, who gave a nod. Together, they both clutched Isabel's hands and pulled her steadily into the house. Once Isabel was inside, she attempted to attack them, but was stopped short from Irina's firm aim of a gun trained on her.

"Is it true that Nataliya Romanova is next in line for being Lucian leader."

Isabel's cold, hateful expression changed momentarily to confusion, until she flickered her eyes in Vikram's direction, then looked back at her with resolution. "Yes. Why do you want to know?"

"Oh,the last time I checked, it was me."

Isabel discharged a horrible laugh, as if what Irina had just said was entertaining,

"You never were going to be the next Lucian leader. We only promised you that to keep you active as a valuable agent. And to ensure that you don't, the next Lucian leaders will be our children."

Irina's blood boiled. It angered her for Isabel to say that, even in her less than fortunate state.

She looked at Three. "Grab her."

Before Isabel could react, the Madrigal had seized her, holding her arms back. Isabel hissed, outraged by the capture. Irina reached into her pocket and pulled out a small capsule of poison. Loading it into her fingernail needles, she smiled. This poison would cause its victim to fall unconscious, wiping its immediate short term memory, about four to six hours, and creating a pounding headache lasting for days on end. Although it wasn't as devastating as Poison 55, it was one of Irina's sweet, little favourites, and she was privileged to use it on Isabel.

"Hold still." She said, even as Isabel squirmed in an effort to escape. A move that had failed. This dawned on her, and she braced herself. Irina's needle pierced her neck, her often used striking target, and the poison flowed into her bloodstream.

Isabel murmured something weakly. It was hard to make out, but Irina was sure she said "My baby."

And as Isabel lowered slowly to the floor, Irina realised that the future of the Lucian leadership may be in jeopardy.

For the first time that day, she knew what it felt like to be evil, to take away something to make things go her way. A sob escaped from behind her, and she turned to see Vikram, with a hand on his shoulder and his head in his arms, weeping with sorrow. She realised she'd never seen Vikram in this state before, normally he was in control, sometimes without emotion. But something about his cry made Irina want to sit down and comfort him. But she knew that couldn't happen. Irina approached him and sunk her needle into his neck.

"I'm sorry." She found herself saying.

Before he fell unconscious, Vikram turned his watery eyes to her.

"No...I'm sorry." He whispered.

**A/N: Hoped you enjoyed that updated chapter, please review! Just a notice, I have school exams this week and I am going away for the weekend, next weekend. I may not be able to update this story soon because of that. It will be a tremendous miracle if Chapter 13 is posted this week. Thanks anyway!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey guys, I've updated this story this for you all. Exams are over, I'm going away this weekend and iOS 8 is here! :D **

**And just for that, I added the first part of Chapter 13 just for fun! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 13**

_Three days later_

Isabel Kabra woke for a start, and moaned as her head pounded. She'd never felt this awful before. And the bed she was in didn't feel like her own...

She sat up. The morning light shone through the shattered bedroom window, the bedroom Isabel recognised as the one where she and Vikram committed the most awful murders. It had no significance, but any guest who ever steps foot in the room is as sure as dead. But why was she here?

She shifted her weary gaze and spotted Vikram's body disgracefully stretched out on the floor. Something wasn't right.

"Vikram!" She hissed.

He didn't stir. Isabel sighed in annoyance and fell back onto her pillow. She turned her head to the digital clock sitting elegantly on the bedside table. 10:46am. She never slept this late. Something obviously happened last night..._but what?_ She racked her brain, thinking hard about what might have occurred the night before. Nothing. It was like a gap in her memory. And both her short-term and long-term memory was impeccable. And then the truth lit up in her mind like a lightbulb.

A long, drawn out groan came from the bedroom floor.

"Vikram!" Isabel snapped, leaning toward him. And then she saw it, the blood stained on his pristine white shirt around his right shoulder. She widened her eyes in shock.

Her husband shifted his body, and put a hand to his wounded shoulder . "What...what happened?"

"Listen, _we've been drugged!"_

The Russian rain slashed violently outside, clashing with the sturdy, strong hospital building. Nataliya watched the heavy rain from the calm and peaceful warmth of her bed, staring with vacant eyes. The events of three days ago replayed itself in her mind, pistols firing, beating, falling, fighting carnage and the joyous laughter that echoed. That part creeped her the most was the laughter, the witch's cackle that belonged to one person — Isabel Kabra. Because of her, she and Vikram coldly murdered Irina's husband. Because of her, they had been caught and nearly entitled to death by poison. Because of her, she had been pushed out a broken window, and hospitalised by the glass shards that had sliced her skin open. And did she mention that the Kabras rejected her rightful chance of being Lucian leader, leaving her to be nothing but their minion? All in all, Isabel Kabra was a merciless snake.

So why was she still working for her as her agent?

Nataliya had seen all the horrible things the Lucians had done in the past. Sure, revenge and attackings didn't scare her, but the cold-blooded killings, massacres and assassinations she had seen in the Kabra's archives room was nothing but awful. All filed away neatly in boxes and filing cabinets, as if these events were nothing but business reports and files.

She wondered if she was in the wrong branch.

Nataliya turned away from the window and looked down at her bandaged hands. She never thought this would've happened. But then again, she couldn't just live life wrapped in cotton wool. She didn't want to work for Isabel or Vikram again. She didn't want to be a Lucian anymore. And that was her final decision.

A knock on her door.

Nataliya looked up. "Come in!"

The door opened, and Nataliya gasped in surprise as an all too familiar person walked in.

"Nataliya, you are one brave girl." Grace Cahill said.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: So we are approaching the end of this story. Only a couple of chapters left, maybe. You guys have been really supportive which I do thank graciously. However, I have no more ideas for future 39 clues stories :(**

**The Jordanator has to think. Enjoy chapter 15 and r and r!**

**Chapter 14**

"Grace!" Nataliya cried. She practically leaped out of bed.

"Stay there." Grace chuckled. "It's so good to see you again."

She approached and gave Nataliya a tight hug. She could feel the warmth and comfort radiate in her body as it did three years ago at her mother's funeral. She needed that. After they pulled apart, Grace sat down on the bed.

"There's something I need to ask you." She said, a serious tone replacing her warmth.

Nataliya straightened herself. "What's that?"

Grade paused, as if considering what she was about to say would be too much for her. "It's about you breaking into the Kabra Mansion. What did you find in there?"

"It was awful." Nataliya recalled. "I knew the Kabras were not that aspiring but I never knew they'd commit cold murder, just so that they could be the Lucian leaders!"

"I know." Grace nodded solemnly.

"You do? Why didn't you tell me before?"

Grace looked at her straight in the eye. "Some things are better to be found on your own."

There was a momentary's silence as Nataliya took this in.

She turned back to Grace. "I don't want to be a Lucian anymore. I want to go to another branch."

Grace nodded to herself, as if she knew she would say that. "Nataliya, even if you go to another branch, you're always going to find horrible people and events. For example, take the Ekats. Gordon Oh, who was the former leader of the branch, was murdered by his own brother so that he could be the new leader. You're going to find awful things in all branches. Although in all honesty, the Lucians are the worst."

"I guess you're right." Nataliya sighed.

Another pause.

"Unless, there is another way." Grace said, with a sparkle in her eye.

"What's that?"

"No one knows them that much, but the Madrigals are the fifth branch of the Cahills. They work to bring peace among the Cahills."

"Peace!?" Nataliya crowed. "They murdered my mother's family!"

"True, but it was for good reason. Think about how much they helped you on the night you broke into the Kabra Mansion. Without them you would have been dead. The Madrigals do what they do for the best. Without the Madrigals, one of the branches would have already found all 39 Clues. And imagine if it were Isabel and Vikram Kabra."

Nataliya pondered over this. "I see." Then, "I want to be a Madrigal."

Grace's face hardened. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes."

Then her stern face broke into a smile. "It has been done. Welcome to the Madrigals."

"Is that it?"

"Nataliya, we've been waiting and planning to bring you into our circle for a long time."

A sense of realism and truth washed over her. _I'm a Madrigal. I'm a Madrigal! _And then she realised something else.

"What will Irina and Isabel say when I tell them this?"

Grace gave her a mischievous grin. "You won't dear. Because you're going to be a Lucian double agent."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Would you believe it? It's the final chapter! The ending isn't the best, but it's good enough. Read the last chapter, then pore out your thoughts in the review section. I won't be doing 39 Clues fan fiction for a while (due to a lack of ideas) but I am doing Portal fan fiction currently. If you haven't played Portal, your life isn't complete. Even if you haven't played before, my story 'Test Subject 00001' is unmissable! But anyway, this is 39 clues song not portal so I'll stick to that.**

**Feel free to read sync review my other 39 clues stories too. If you want a short one, 'An Alternate confrontation' is perfect. A more longer story? 'How to Attack the Cahills' is a great read. Anyway, enjoy!**

**-The Jordanator-**

**Chapter 15**

Irina Spasky sat patiently outside the office door. Just like she did before, so long ago. But this was different. Nataliya also sat next to her. They were waiting for Isabel to call them in. And this time, Irina didn't think she was going to be so cheery.

She inspected her nails closely, as Nataliya tapped her finger against the chair. They both felt uncomfortable, but the real question that played on their minds was if Isabel remembered the break-in. Surely not, Irina had drugged her. But Isabel was the queen of poisons, she may have had some form of antidote. The only clue of her bitter knowledge was in the phone call they both received.

"Meet me in my office, immediately." Isabel had said.

And here they were, awaiting the truth. Both Irina and Nataliya had agreed not to talk about that tragic night at the Kabra Mansion, but that might change in the next moment. She felt like she and Nataliya were naughty children waiting to be scolded, but not knowing if they would. Of course, that was how Isabel treated them.

The phone of Isabel's secretary rang. The secretary picked it up and listened, before looking up at them.

"Mrs Kabra is waiting inside." She said in a business-like tone.

Irina and Nataliya exchanged a glance and rose. Irina stepped forward and opened the door. Inside, Isabel Kabra sat back in her large, cushioned office chair. Examining her fingernails. Irina noticed she had a large bandage on her head, and small plasters on her arms. When she turned to them, she immediately noticed the dark, black eyes that made Isabel look ghastly. So this is what the poison did...

She or Nataliya must've gasped in shock, because she closed her eyes in exasperation.

"Yes." She sighed. "I know. Don't ask questions, I'll explain."

They sat down and Isabel began talking, rather flatly. "A week ago, criminals broke into our estate and attacked us. We don't know who they are, possibly Madrigals."

Normally, the term 'Madrigal' didn't phase Isabel, she only thought of them as enigmas. But now she shuddered slightly. Irina glanced at Nataliya next to her and saw her face flicker in...discomfort? It was hard to tell.

Isabel continued. "But Vikram and I believe it may be a Tomas intrusion. We don't know who they are because we must have been drugged. Strangely, Vikram received a weaker dose and remembers his phone conversation with Tomas leader Ivan Kleister. And gunshots. But not much after that. We have decided that based on this, I'm going to cut your mission short."

Irina nodded. Secretly, she was relieved not to have to continue working to find the Tomas clue in South Africa.

"I'm also cutting the two of you apart."

Both Irina's and Nataliya's jaws dropped. "What!?"

"Nataliya, you're fragile. You know yourself about the condition you have. What is it? Haemophilia."

Irina turned to Nataliya in puzzlement. "I didn't know about that."

She looked back at her. "I was going to tell you..."

"Enough!" Isabel interrupted. "Nataliya, you will be here looking after one of our newest toys, The Shark. I believe you'll find it very fascinating. Irina, I'm sending you home to your family for the meantime until another mission comes up. Are we clear with each other?"

They both nodded, but without enthusiasm. The news devastated Irina, and she was sure Nataliya felt the same.

"Good." Isabel said, then she looked down at Nataliya's hands. "How did you cut yourself?"

Nataliya stiffened. "Scissor accident."

Isabel's eyes narrowed, like she knew she was lying. "Right. You two are dismissed."

* * *

She felt awful. Nataliya was in her office, with an annoyed Irina.

"Maybe Isabel is right to separate us." She spat. "I would never have let you break into the Kabra's home if I'd known you had Haemophilia. Do you know how guilty I feel?"

"Irina, please. It was for the best. If we hadn't have gone, we wouldn't have learnt the truth. And now that I'm—"

Nataliya suddenly clasped her hand to her mouth. She had just about slipped her secret. If Irina knew about her new status...

Irina frowned. "Now that you're what?"

"Uh, now that I'm staying here and looking after the stronghold."

"You're lying."

"How do you know?"

"You put a hand over your mouth to not reveal something."

Nataliya had run out of lies. "Do you know what? Just go."

Irina looked confused. "What?"

"Just go, please. Go home. I can't handle myself around you any longer. I'm still your best friend, but I think we do need to be apart, like Isabel said."

A moments silence as Irina stood there in minor shock.

"Fine." She hissed. "So be it. Good day, Nataliya."

"Good day, Irina."

And with that, Nataliya watched as her best friend stalked out the door.

* * *

Ten minutes later, she found that she was still staring at the door. It was upsetting to see her go, and she had tears in her eyes, but it was for the best of their relationship. If she had revealed her Lucian betrayal to her, Irina would never forgive her. Their friendship would be completely broken. It was either that or just a few cracks. So the cracks it was. And of course, cracks could be sealed. But Nataliya would work on that later.

As she sat down and wiped the moisture from her eyes, she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in!" She called out, hoping for Irina somehow.

But instead, Isabel stepped in.

"Do you want to see the Shark?" She asked with a smile.

Nataliya looked at the murderer of Irina's husband and the overriding strategist with uncertainty, then submission. "Sure, I'd love to see it."

Isabel beckoned her along, leading her through the stronghold. "Are you upset with me for separating you and Irina?" She asked as they walked.

"We decided it was for the best." Nataliya replied in a flat statement.

Isabel nodded, a little surprised. "I didn't think you'd cope that well. But I'm glad you have that attitude. You could be real asset to the Lucians."

_More than you think._ Nataliya thought.

"Irina is still a good agent, but she has family. Well, actually a son. Her husband died tragically." Isabel said.

_Yeah, you murdered him._

"But apart from your medical condition, you have no limitations. We can use you for espionage, languages and hacking. You're already great in those areas. Which is why I don't want the burden of Irina to weigh you down. You two worked well, but I can sense a little rivalry between you both. And we don't want that interfering with missions, do we?"

"Of course not." Nataliya said.

They walked a little further until they came to a door.

"Here we go." Isabel said with suspense, as she pulled down the handle.

The door swung open. Outside, bathed in the light of the morning Russian sun, was the sleekest, blackest and beastliest helicopter Nataliya had ever seen. It sat proudly on the roof of the stronghold, ready to do duty.

"Wow." She breathed in awe.

"You like it?" Isabel asked as she stepped toward it.

"Very much."

"Well that's good. I tell you, it's the best machine I've ever seen myself. It's remote controlled, fast, powerful and is indestructible. And your going to love it."

"Why's that?"

"Because." Isabel smiled. "We're going to take it for a spin."


End file.
